(Illustration by iStock/Kubkoo)
Mental health has become a central topic of discussion as cases of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues continue to rise around the world. UNITED STATES And worldwide. Governments, media, businesses, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations have all made significant, if insufficient, commitments to combat alarming rates of mental distress and deaths of despair, such as drug overdoses and suicides. Although mental health is often discussed in the context of clinical mental health services, there is a growing consensus that simply expanding access to traditional clinical mental health services, such as therapy and psychiatry , will not meet all the needs of the moment. This is due to a number of factors, including evidence base that community members can be just as effective as clinicians in providing certain forms of mental health support and that mental health is inseparable from other intersections of oppression and injustice.
Meanwhile, the field of social change and innovation faces the greatest challenges of our time: our collective pain. Alongside the communities we serve, those of us working for social change witness the daily realities of poverty, injustice, violence, marginalization and climate destruction. Many of us find ourselves on the front lines of crisis response, often torn between the priorities of immediate relief and long-term reform. Existing narratives such as martyrdom, heroic entrepreneurship, and resource scarcity obscure our efforts to work courageously without excluding or exploiting us. It’s no wonder that stories of burnout predominate and that countless social impact leaders – despite their immense talent and sense of purpose – end up walking away from their mission for good.
If mental health ultimately allows us to move through life’s difficulties toward a sense of growth and contribution, then it is essential to social change, which exists at the intersection of our collective pain and our collective freedom. And if large swaths of the population are to experience the liberating possibilities of mental health and healing, this cannot remain within the realm of the formal mental health system alone. To achieve lasting impact and experience much-needed collective healing, mental health must be integrated into our worlds of social change.
It is not only necessary, but possible. Through our shared community of social innovators in the Catalyst 2030 Mental Health Collaborationand in our own organizations, Brio And Mental Health America, we have witnessed the wonderful possibilities and results of integrating mental health into social change work. As a collective of social entrepreneurs and practitioners, the Mental Health Collaboration seeks to accelerate innovation in global mental health as a means to achieve more effective and inclusive social and environmental impact.
Mental health as a resource for change
The critical role mental health plays in achieving meaningful social change begins at the heart of what mental health actually is. While poor mental health can hinder an individual or community’s ability to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them, positive mental health can enable individuals and communities to lead and achieve their goals. own vision of fulfillment. As a vitalizing internal resource, mental health can support the longevity of any social change that requires sustained commitment and effort from those involved.
Integrating mental health into our worlds of social change also helps us create work cultures that do no harm on the path to good. As we work to change communities and structures, we often struggle with the resulting beliefs and barriers in ourselves and our efforts. Whether it’s witnessing trauma and grief, glorifying overwork, failing to create opportunities for authentic connection, or ignoring our own well-being, we can unintentionally recreate or failing to address struggles in the way we interact with each other, making it less likely that we and our efforts will be sustainable.
The good news is that there are many pathways to integrating mental health as a critical component of lasting social impact. During this series, transformative changemakers in the field will join us to share in-depth case studies on how leaders and innovators in the United States and beyond are leveraging mental health to advance social change. These diverse perspectives offer the wisdom needed to enrich our conversations about the power of mental health to increase impact in four critical areas of social change: climate, peacebuilding, gender, and the workplace.
How to Cultivate Mental Health in Your World of Social Change
To promote a future where people and planet thrive, we need more leaders and teams to integrate mental health and social change. Although this process takes time, we believe it is possible to simply take one step forward. Here are four key practices that we’ll explore in more depth throughout this series.
1. Reinvent yourself as a member of the mental health ecosystem and build a community of mutual support.
Significant change is possible when we recognize that mental health and healing is the domain of all of us, not just mental health professionals. Having a basic understanding of how poor mental health affects our communities can inform the posture and pace at which we work, how we define success, and the importance of collective participation in the healing process. Simply start by learning about the effects of trauma and how best to support others; then familiarize yourself with local resources and supports, if available.
In an upcoming article on the power of mental health to promote peacebuilding, Celina De Sola of Glasswing International will share critical mindset shifts for working with vulnerable populations, important ways to think about the impact of health mental health and trauma impact our work, and how to become informed advocates for mental health in the communities we serve.
2. Honor the emotional and mental impact of the difficult realities we face.
Emotional responses, whether sadness, frustration, or anger, are valid and appropriate responses to experiencing and confronting injustice in social change work. While these feelings often inspire us to act, it’s also important to create spaces where we can process and validate these emotions as they arise. Providing open dialogues, spaces for art, mental health education, or support groups can help us honor our experiences instead of ignoring the emotional and mental impact that can compound and create burnout over time.
In an upcoming article on the intersections of the mental health and climate movements, mental health experts Lian Zeitz and John Jamir Benzon Aruta will join us to discuss how to confront large-scale suffering, resolve moral crises and to create long-term intergenerational spaces. term change and healing.
3. Provide opportunities for connection and support rooted in shared experiences.
Receiving support from people we identify with can be healing and show us that we are not alone. These relationships and interactions offer us the opportunity to be inspired and supported by people who we believe better understand us and our experiences. In addition to broader mental health resources, we can prioritize and provide spaces and initiatives that allow individuals to connect with each other over shared experiences.
In an article focused on mental health and gender, Dr Rukudzo Mwamuka will help us explore how leaders, particularly those from communities historically excluded from mental health services and initiatives, can advance wellbeing by disclosing their mental health experiences and tailoring resources to reflect the needs of their communities.
4. Foster a common language around mental and emotional experiences to build a culture of empathy.
Empathetic relationships at work are essential to supporting mental health, and they start with awareness of self and others. Although many of us are familiar with the vocabulary of our own industry, it is likely that we can improve our vocabulary based on our mental and emotional experiences. We can start by simply recognizing and naming the wide range of inner realities felt by colleagues and team members in the context of the work itself. Sometimes this is as simple as learning to use words that describe our thoughts, emotions, and sensations as part of our present moment experience; it can also mean developing better skills for knowing what to listen to if a colleague is struggling.
In our latest article, Bearapy founder Enoch Li will share how to defuse stigma, align mental health with values, and gradually shift workplace culture towards support and wellbeing.
The cost and promise of mental health in social change
Without a significant increase in awareness, promotion and support for mental health, our world of social change will fail to fully realize the wide range of possibilities we urgently need. And without meaningful integration of mental health across all programs and sectors, we are resigned to a system that is insufficient to meet the needs of all.
Integrating mental health into our worlds of social change may seem complex, but there are many possible paths forward. This series features stories and lessons from social innovators who have demonstrated that mental health is well worth the investment to achieve the impact we want to see in the world. We hope that funders and advocates of social change will consider how the inclusion of mental health can amplify the sustainability of the work you currently support. And for those with us in the trenches of social change, we hope these recommendations become not just one more thing on your long to-do list, but rather accessible steps toward greater healing and freedom in the context of your important social mission.
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Read more stories by Marguerite Rosales & Kelly Davis.
